Muffle or furnace for annealing.



PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

A. SMALLWOOD.

[lil/miarr- UNiTED sfrnfrs PATENT OFFICE. V

ALFaEDsMALLwOOD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, AssieNOR To Tan INCAN- DEscENr HEAT-OOMPANY LIMITED, Or LONDON, ENGLAND.

' MUFFLE OR FUHNACE FOR ANNEALlNG.

Specication of Letters' Patent.

No. '$33,641. p

Patented oct. 16, 190e.

Original application filed January 19,1905, Serial No. 241,904. Divided and this application tiled October 2,1905- Seria-1 No. 280,940-

To @ZZ whom it' may comiern!l Be it known that LALFRED SMALLWOOD, of 52 Gracechurch street, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Muflies or Furnaces for Annealing; and I hereby dec'lare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description of the saine and that this application is a division or continuation of my application for Letters Patent of the United States for the same invention led January l 19, 1905, serial No. 241,904.

lss

In the case of furnaces for annealing tubes i' gases as they pass from the fire-grate throughy the combustion-chamber to the heating or annealing chamber, the object being to distribute those parts of the furnace which require t0 be in a state of incandescence, so as to obtain a more rapid ignition of the gases in proportion to the size of the combustionchamber, andat the same time render most of the surrounding lining of the annealingchamber incandescent throughout, by which 'a more effective distribution of the heat is obtained. By this arrangement the heated gases less the amount absorbed by the articles under process of annealing can be conveyed to a second and even a third annealing-charnber, thereby saving the fuelwhich would votherwise be required for heating the one or two successive chambers, While at the same time either or any of such anhealing-chamL bers can be more' readily converted, so as to be applicable for either close7 or openf annealing, as may be required.

The combustion-chamber is placed under the annealing-chamber, with the fire-grate arranged at'the'rear or side of the combustionchamber so as to. be yfarthest, removed from the heat-exit,'the roof or division between the two chambers being constructed with firebricks, re-cla or other material of a kind which is suita le! for becoming incandescent at the mouth 2, so as toreadily -ber and otherwise to form ameans whereby practically complete combustion can be as sisted.

In o rder to form the heat-accumulator and obtain the desired result, the roof is4 designed and constructed as" to increase the area of the lower side thereof by corrugated, draftboard, or other surface extensions, projections, Or excrescences which extend or project into the combustion-chamber sufliciently to assist in breaking up, mixing, and circulatin the uncombusted material and ases an render them more amenable in t eir cornbustion with the oxygen.

In furnaces for annealing certain articles, including some classes of tubes for the prevention of oxidation, itis necessary' that they should not be exposed or-in any Way subjected to the external atmosph ero whenun der the process of annealing, and this invention is shown applied to furnaces which are capable of being Inade convertible, so as to admit of either close or open annealing being effected. l

- In the drawings, Figure l. is a section illustrating the application of this invention to furnaces which are convertible to either close or open' annealing. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through Fig. 1 on lthe line 1A 2". Fig. 3 is a sectional plan through Fig. 2 on the line B B, that portion of the plan illustrating the left-hand half of the section being inverted to show the roof of the combustionchamber.

Like letters and numerals Aof reference refer'tolike' parts throughout the specification and drawings. v In applying this invention to annealin chambers, as illustrated more particulary .by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a cavity b is provided in the side walls Of the annealing-chamber, and such cavity is extended down to the combustion-chamber at l, at the several points where not requiredfor the support of the 'floor of the annealing-chamber and in some cases above the arch of the annealing-charnber, the lower part of the cavitl in the roof of the combustion-chamber B bl ringenlarged IOO admit of the nealing-chamber.

through to the cavities for the purpose oi' tion B, having surface extensions C proiect- `to also'assist in breakin u mixinvf and cirgases in the case of open annealing, While the flowing l ing 10 is closed by its damper, as in the case of close annealing being effected.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What'l claim as neW,-and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'isannealing-chainl rendering the linin of the ber incandescent t `oughoiit, a number oi' nre-'bricks or blocks of suitable material in some cases being built into the lining at la, I so as to'project at intervals across the cavity l to `assist in conducting the vheat to the lining.

The comlrrnstion-chamber B is located in the same horizontal plane as the furnace B', and above the combustiomchainber B is the annealingmhamber H, separated from the combustion-chamber by a horizontal partiing a nre-grate, a eombustionhamber in the same horizontal plane as the iiregrate, an

bustion-chamber so that the latter will be intermediately located between the fire-grate tition capable ci ecomin-g incandescentseparating the combustiomchamber from the annealing-chamber and forming the floor ot the annealing-chamb er, surface extensions forming part oi said partition and of the same material thereas-and projecting into the con'ibustion-chamber in the path of the gases passing therethrough7 vertical partitions connected to the roof of the annealing chamber and to said horizontal'partition and of the same material as the latter, and extensions oi the 'combustion-chamber at the sides of said'vertical partition.

2. A militie or annealing-i`urnace comprising a rire-grate, a combustion-chamber in the same horizontal plane the-fire-gratei, an annealing-chamber arranged above the com bustion-chamber 4sol that the latter Will be intermediately located letWeen the riregrate and the annealing-chamber, a horizontal partition capable of becoming incandescent separating the combustion-chamber lfrom the annealing-chamber and forming the floor of the annealing-chamber, surface ex'- tensions forming )art of said partition and of the same material thereas and projecting into the combustion-chamber in the path of the gases passing therethrough, vertical partitions connected to the roof of the annealingchamber and t'o said horizontal partition and .of the same material as the latter, and. eX-

tensions of the combustion-chamberfat the sides of. said vertical partition, fines leading from the combustion-chamber into the aninealingchamber, other fluee leading out lof the annealing-chambers, and dampere to ing'downwardly into the combustion-chamber. 'The horizontal partition Bf and the surface extensions' C are of' a material capable of becoming incandescent7 so that the heat from the combustion-chamber can be ab sorbed by the horizontal partition B and extensions C and radiated by them into the an- In order to assist in forming an accumulation of heat, the surface extensions or pro. jections C are arranged to extend or project into the combustion-chamber B su'liiciently cu'lating the uncombusted materials.

For facilitating the conversion oi the turnace from one for open annling to one for close annealing, in which thechamber is hermetically sealed during the annealing of the articles, the heat-exit from the combustionchamber Bis efiected by one or more vertical iiues 4, arranged to convey the heat from the combustion-chamber B into and directly throu h the vannealing-chamber H for open anneaing and one or moreI vertical lines 5y connected With the flue 6 above the annealing chamber H, horizontal dampers 7 7 being fitted to each pair of tlues 4 and 5 in such a manner that by opening the one damper and closing the other either liuc can be closed and the other one at the same time opened, thus rendering it possible to either pass the heat through the chamber H by the fliiese, as When rec'uired oropen annealing,' or over the top ci the'chamber by flues 5, as required Jfor closed annealin The opening 7 is providedc in the top H of the annealing-chamcombustiomchamber into the annealingber for allowing of the passage of the heated chamber and out of the annealing-(slumber.

opening 8 is provided for the escapeof the ALFRED `Sll/IALINVOOD.

gases in the case of close annealing, the opening 7 being then closed by its damper 9. Witnesses: The top flue 11' is provided for conveying WALTER H. E. BARTLAM,

the gases to the stack-Hue 12 when the open- J UsTUs J ONES.

1. A mnfiie or annealing-furnace comprisannealing-chamber arranged above the com-4 and the annealinggchamber, a' horizontal par- IDO 

